Consolidated Thanksgiving
by Dzem
Summary: Side-story for Consolidated. Ed's a little down on the holiday and Hughes helps. Fluff!


**Well**, **I thought I would make a bit of a side-story since I felt bad I haven't written anything a while. Understand though, with school and exams coming up its hard to find time. Plus, I'm Bi-Polar and there are always months were the depression side hits and I find it hard to write. I am working on the next chapter for Consolidated and it should be done soon. Anyway, this is just a cute angst-y/fluffy little story**.

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If there was one thing Edward Elric hated most, it was holidays. He saw no purpose to them, and so he never much cared for them. Ed knew when Al and he were young, they would celebrate all the holidays with their mother. They may have been happy, he didn't care to remember. Al on the other hand loved holidays and always begged Ed to celebrate them with him. So, Ed would always go out of his way to make sure his little brother had the best time a suite of armor could. This year though the was little different for Ed. Usually, it was Winry and himself that did everything to make the holidays great. This year Ed was told to sit on the sidelines while the Gracia and Maes Hughes took care of all the preparations for Thanksgiving. He was simply to sit around with Al and Winry and enjoy his time with them. So, instead of cooking, cleaning and decorating, he was sitting on a swing at a park watching Al chase birds with Elysia and Winry.

He was trying his very best not to be gloomy about today, in fact one would say he was going completely out of the way to be in a decent mood. Sometime a smile would spread across his face and then he was smacked by his guilt and was once more upset. Edward didn't deserve this happiness. He didn't deserve to be happy when his mother was dead and his only family left was made of metal. Ed sighed as he swung back and forth with his eyes closed and head thrown back. Listening to the laughs of his three favorite people made his heart feel warm and tingly. He was so lost in his thoughts that he jumped a mile high when he felt someone tug at his swing. He fell with a thump on to his bottom. Growling Ed looked up at the intruder read a glare ready to burn whoever it was into a crisp. Hughes was smiling down at him with an apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry Ed. I called your name a couple of times, but you didn't respond." Hughes explained as he held a hand out to help Ed up.

Ed mumbled an 'it's ok' as he took the hand Hughes offered. Silently Hughes took a seat on a swing and Ed took one next to him. They sat there in comfortable silence for a while, watching the other three play. It had been like this for a while now between Hughes and himself. They had been able to get along a little easier lately. Every now and then they would get into an argument, but for the most part they managed to stay on friendly terms.

"They seem so carefree." Hughes observed, as Al tossed Elysia into the air and caught her.

"Yea, they do." Ed replied quietly. He knew what was coming next, Hughes was going to bring up something Ed didn't want to talk about. Ed mentally prepared himself for the question.

"Why don't you like Thanksgiving? You've put up a smile all day, but it's obvious that there is no meaning behind it." Hughes asked, turning around to stare at Ed.

Ed wasn't about to make eye contact with the man. That would be a big mistake, he couldn't look into Hughes' eyes and lie. It was much too difficult, which was saying something, the only other person he couldn't lie to was Al.

"I have no idea what your talking about. I've been happy all day. Maybe your observation skills are on the fritz." Ed replied, attempting a humorous attempt to get out telling the truth. Anything was possible, maybe.

Hughes was silent for a while and Ed thought he was going to get out of having to tell the truth. His luck bit him in the ass though and then laughed in his face. Ed's swing was tugged to the right and Ed made the mistake of looking up. Hughes had taken both of the swings chains and made Ed face him directly.

"Why don't you like Thanksgiving." Hughes asked again, eyes boring into Ed's.

"Let go." Ed ordered with as much anger as he could muster up. If lying didn't work, anger was always the next best thing in Ed's book. Of course, he wasn't dealing with any normal person. Ed's anger and glares never fazed Maes Hughes.

"No." Hughes replied with just as much force and anger as Ed's command had.

The next five minutes turned into a fierce glaring contest. It was a fruitless attempt on Ed's end though. He never won against the man, Ed swore Hughes was really the devil in disguise. Ed let out a long agitated sigh before he finally gave in. Hughes let a smirk slip onto his face, agitating Ed even more.

"So?" He asked when Ed was silent for a bit longer.

"Holidays are dumb. They're meant for families and for people who deserve to be happy. I don't deserve to be happy and I hate them. If it weren't for Al I wouldn't even bother with them. But Al, he loves it, the decorations, the food, the damn jolly feeling. The last time I remember liking a holiday was Christmas with Mom. She's gone though and what right do I have to have a great time when she's dead and Al can't even enjoy the food! He tells me he likes to look at the food and watch others enjoy it! I know better though, I know how much he wishes he could taste it! So yea, I hate holidays." Ed finished in a whisper, looking away from Hughes. He hadn't realized he had been shouting until he saw Al, Elysia, and Winry glance over.

Hughes gave a small nod and let go of Ed's swing. Ed stole a glance at the man to see that his face was blank. Ed knew he was thinking though. It wasn't hard to read the man if you knew him well enough, which Ed did to a degree.

"A mother only ever wants what's best for her kids. Her love doesn't vanish when she does and it surely doesn't vanish when you mess up. Our mistakes are what define us, they make us who we are. Your mother would have loved you no less than she ever did before she died. If anything, her love for you would grow with how well you have grown up. In her eyes, your mistakes are small even though they seem large to you. What you did was wrong in every way possible. It was a choice you made and it was your choice to decide fix those mistakes. You can beat yourself up every day and wallow in your self-pity and guilt, or you can man up and face your mistakes and fears head on and quit your running away. You use the excuse that you can't be happy because it wouldn't be fair for Al, but it's that exactly. An excuse you use to hide behind so you don't have to face your fears. You are scared to be happy, scared to let yourself be happy because you're afraid it will be taken away again. Happiness will always be stolen, but that just makes it more important to have as much of it as possible. At least for today, try to let yourself to be happy, Ed. For today, I'll make sure it's not taken away from you. Deal?" Hughes finished, taking Ed's face into his hands.

Ed refused to meet Hughes' eyes. How did the man know him better than he knew himself? It wasn't fair in the least and it scared him.

"Edward, look at me." Hughes' voice held a tone that held no room for argument.

Ed let his gold eyes meet Hughes' and they were locked. Through that one look Ed felt the cold melt off him. No one ever looked at him like that, not even Al. That was a look that a man was supposed to give to his son, a son he was proud of. Ed didn't deserve that look, but he was greedy and wanted it just as much as he wanted Al's body back. Slowly, Ed nodded his head agreeing to something he wasn't entirely sure he could do. He would try though, try just for today. It wouldn't hurt and Hughes promised he wouldn't let anything happen. It scared his that he actually trusted this man with this, but it was worth a shot. Just once.

"Good, now let's get going I'm freezing and there's food to eat and memories to make!" Hughes said excitedly, ruffling Ed's head and pulling him along to get the others.

The rest of the night went by smoothly. Ed, for once in many years allowed a smile to grace his lips that felt real and didn't vanish even when he had dozed off later that night. If Edward Elric had to pick one word to describe how he felt, it had to be contempt. He couldn't go as far as saying he was happy that would take a lot of practice, but if Hughes kept his promises maybe he would get a little better day by day.

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**Hope you enjoyed, and sorry for any mistakes, I didn't check it too thoroughly**. **Thanks for all of your reviews by the way =) **

**Happy Belated Thanksgiving!  
**


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